


Only Ours

by Shinocchi



Series: Mirthful Promises [7]
Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Children, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Come Eating, Dirty Talk, Domestic Fluff, Drunk Sex, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gift Fic, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Points of View, Post-Canon, Wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 07:36:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5366741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinocchi/pseuds/Shinocchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't his first time celebrating Christmas with his family, but every time he did gave him a whole, special meaning that was never the same with any other time he'd celebrated it. This year, Aoba and Noiz promised him a two-week company, along with more companies from friends and family, even though they were thousand miles away from them.</p><p>A Christmas story told from a younger point of view - one who bears the proof of existence of both Noiz and Aoba.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Ours

**Author's Note:**

> This is a giftfic written for [kaitricep](http://kaitricep.tumblr.com/) who requested for [Preparing for Winter/Christmas Celebration](http://shinocchidesu.tumblr.com/post/133259078052/winter-gift) with NoiAo & child. I hope everything's great at your end and hopefully this small gift could lift away some of your exam period pressure :')
> 
> A quick note: Wilhelm is an OC of mine, son of both Noiz and Aoba. He made his appearance in various of my kidfic stories but a more apparent appearance was in [Love: Life](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3312710/chapters/7440878), which this fic had also developed of its similar style. Wilhelm takes most of Noiz's appearance besides the spikes of his hair and his light-brown eyes, which are replications of Aoba :)
> 
> A few notes for Christmas fact references (many thanks to [nambnb](http://nambnb.tumblr.com/) for helping me out with these facts :D 
> 
> | **Christkind** : is known to be a little girl with blond hair and white gown that spreads happiness and grants wishes for Christmas Day.  
> | **Advent Calendar** : used to count down the dates to Christmas. The illustrations behind the windows could differ based on preferences.
> 
> Lastly, I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
> 
> Vietnamese version of the story is available [here](https://odysseypersonalspace.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/dmmd-only-ours/)!

It was a story that had been growing with him throughout his life now. It was also the first story he’d come to love; a story that he held close to his heart. He told himself that one day, he’d learn how to revive this very story again, so that he could witness the entire process of his parent’s encounters, even though his parents had portrayed flawlessly the end result of all the accumulating passion they’d shared during their teen years, far before he even existed. The affection his parents had been showing each other was superficial. He thought it was the most natural thing to happen between couples until he observed how his father pushed the other aside and growled at him that he noticed that their passion was…. not quite the same as any other parents he’d come to know.

He was just a kid then; one five-year-old, nevertheless. But there was no one second that he wasn’t being showered with affection.

His parents had made sure of that.

 

* * *

 

 

As he pulled a window open on the Advent Calendar he’d spent time making with his parents, he let out a cheerful grin. Beyond the window was a green cube with a tiny pink-coloured headphone laying by its side. He stroked the drawing for a few moments before he felt the weight of his mattress sink, causing him to look behind.

“24 days to Christmas,” Aoba smiled as he joined his son’s gaze, pointing at the opened window on the Advent Calendar. “Time to get prepared, shall we?”

Wilhelm returned his father’s smile with a brighter one of his own as he nodded enthusiastically. It wasn’t like he’d never celebrated Christmas before, but the festive season possessed a sort of charm that never failed to paint a layer of delight on his face. Holiday seasons meant spending more time with his parents and he honestly couldn’t asked for anything more than this.

“Have you thought about what present do you want for Christmas?” Aoba pulled him into a full-body hug, eyes still staring tenderly at the calendar above his son’s bed.

“Anything!” Wilhelm replied heartily.

“There’s no present with a name called ‘Anything’, you know?” Aoba chuckled. He was grateful that his son was appreciative, but he wanted to do something for him too, even though he was sure that Noiz had made sure that he’d given their son everything he ever wanted – or never asked for.

Wilhelm leaned back against Aoba’s chest then, letting out a long hum as he considered. “Hmm… I want to stay with both of you for the whole month!”

“W-well, that’s kind of… tough…” Aoba smiled bitterly. Their holidays only started on the second week of December and even though Noiz had expressed the intention to apply for a longer leave, Aoba had effectively forbid him with just a glare even before Noiz could open his mouth.

Wilhelm’s pout in the next second almost had Aoba wanting to go back to Noiz just to ask him to reconsider his intention.

“But we’ll be able to spend more time together for two weeks,” he said in a hurry, hugging his son tighter in his arms at the same time. “We will be able to do a lot of things together!”

“Really?!” Wilhelm struggled out of Aoba’s hands, turning around just so he could stare spiritedly at him.

“Of course!” Aoba grinned wider, feeling the bubbles brimming from beneath his chest again. “We will shop for gifts together, buy decorations for the house, buy new clothes—“

“We can buy gifts for Granny and Uncle Koujaku too?!” Wilhelm was smiling so ardently now that Aoba couldn’t help but pinch him on the cheeks.

“Of course,” he said, ruffling his son on the hair. “Let’s surprise them with a lot of gifts.”

“Yay!” Wilhelm was literally jumping on the bed now. While Aoba attempted to calm him down, struggling to seize his swaying hands, he heard a cough behind him, turning in time to see Noiz leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed with a suave beam plastered on his face.

“I wonder what you’re promising him again,” he teased, which was responded by a pout from Aoba, one that reminded him dearly of their son.

“Not as great as the ones _you_ promised.” As Noiz made his way towards the bed, joining his husband and his son, he lifted a small smile upon noticing the opened window on the Advent Calendar.

“24 days to Christmas, huh?” He raised a finger, tracing the outline of the tiny pink headphone before he released a light sigh.

He was about to say something, but his son was faster. Jumping out of Aoba’s laps, he clutched onto Noiz’s index finger, pressing the tip steadfastly against the illustration.

“Papa,” he said, eyes glistening with great enthusiasm. “ _Two_ papas!” he continued, dragging Noiz’s fingertip to the green rabbit cube instead.

It took Noiz a while, but the next sound he made almost had Aoba’s heart leap out of his throat.

 

`[ 20 days to Christmas ]`

 

Once he was done with grinning at a green bunny nuzzling against the nose of a blue bunny on the Advent Calendar, Wilhelm rolled off the bed, almost fell headfirst against the floor if he hadn’t been clutching onto the bed sheet as he ran out of the room and right into the living room. Aoba was in the kitchen, the delicious smell of pasta invading his nostril as he sniffed the air. But just for a bit. In the next second, he was already dashing his way into the study room, where he found a card on the couch. His grin brightened. With another speedy dash, he grasped the card speedily and hustled to sit on the big office chair where Noiz used to sit before he looked around for a pen.

“Wilhelm?” He heard Aoba’s voice from the corridor. Quickly tossing the card under the table, he pressed his face against his arm, resting his hands on the table as his legs swung back and forth, acting as if he was simply sitting in the room. It took a few seconds for Aoba to emerge from the door, just when Wilhelm was peeking at it.

“What are you doing here?” Aoba asked, a smile gracing his features as he stared suspiciously at his son.

“Nothing!” Wilhelm replied, albeit a bit too fast.

“Hmmm?” Aoba hummed, his gaze swimming from his son’s face to look at the table. His son was way too honest. Despite the loud denial he’d just given out earlier, his body language had betrayed him; his legs swung faster, his eyes widened in horror, and his body straightened up in a complete ninety degree posture while he had his stare fixed terrifyingly at Aoba, obviously anxious that he’d discover something.

“I’ve made your favourite pasta, by the way.” Aoba’s swift switch of topic had Wilhelm breathing an instant sigh of relief. “Come here.”

And he didn’t need Aoba to wait for another second longer before he throttled his way towards his father, grasping his hand where he’d stretched out at him.

On the same night, Wilhelm sneaked out of his room again when Aoba went to the shower after tucking him in. Giving a quick wary stare down the corridor, he tiptoed his way towards the study room again, cautiously opening the door just to close it again. With a loud snap.

Someone was in the room. And he hadn’t been expecting that.

“Wilhelm?”

It was a voice he was more than familiar with; but yet, it was also one that he feared to hear now. Acknowledging his downfall, he opened the door again; this time, less strident than before.

“Papa…”

Noiz was sitting on the big chair he was sitting on when he sneaked in earlier in the afternoon. With a pair of black-rimmed glasses on his face, he stared at his son with a pair of inquisitive lime-green eyes before the corner of his lips curved into a small smile.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, abandoning the few hologram screens he’d been holding up. “Come here.”

Wilhelm could do nothing but obey. He was supported to sit on Noiz’s laps then, found himself staring at numbers and words he could not understand.

“I’m sorry…” he muttered, not knowing what to say.

“Why are you apologizing? Did you do something wrong?”

Wilhelm remained quiet. He didn’t know what to say. All he ever wanted was to retrieve the card that was _still_ under Noiz’s table and he didn’t know how to do it. He lifted a cagey backward stare at his father, just to see Noiz looking back at him, instantly having him looking down at his hands again, suddenly hearing his furious heartbeats in his ears.

Noiz, however, acted as if he didn’t notice anything. With Wilhelm still sitting in between his legs, he returned his attention to the screens, typing on his hologram keyboard without another word.

“Papa?” Wilhelm called out after two whole minutes of silence.

“Hm?” His father merely hummed, his fingers dancing smoothly on the keyboard.

But he remained silent, still too afraid to spell his thoughts out.

“I’m not going to ask you,” Noiz said then. “I’ll wait for you to tell me when you’re ready to.”

He loved his father for being so thoughtful. But still, it wasn’t something he could easily spell out either and despite feeling a small bubble of guilt burgeoning from within him, he could only stare at his fingers, until he heard the sound of the study’s door being pushed open.

“There you are.” Aoba peeked into the room, water droplets dripped from the tips of his hair, and he was carrying a pleasant fragrance that clearly told both Noiz and Wilhelm that he’d just come out from the shower. Once he found his son, he pulled up a smile, then walked into the room and stood right in front of both his family members.

“You gave me a heart attack for disappearing suddenly like that,” Aoba reprimanded with a scowl. “What are you doing here?”

It did nothing but make Wilhelm felt more remorseful than before.

His eyes fell on the piece of card under the table again. It was just _right there_ ; but yet, it was so near yet so far.

“C’mon, let’s go to bed. I’m sleeping with you tonight.”

“What about me?” The tone Noiz used was a contrast to how he’d used on his son earlier; it was huskier, slightly lower.

“You can come if you want,” Aoba smirked. And even after Wilhelm followed his father out of the room, he had no idea why Noiz looked so exasperated when Aoba closed the door behind them.

His third attempt was smoother.

While Aoba was cleaning up the house, he opened the door to the studies again; this time, it was unobtrusive. He looked around, just to make sure that his coast was clear, and was already stepping one foot into the room when he heard a voice, one that almost made him scream.

“Do you need anything?”

He jumped, turning his head so fast that he almost fell. Ren was staring at him, his tail wagging in great intensity. He was lucky that it wasn’t Aoba who’d discovered him but this situation wasn’t helping much either. On top of that, he was tired with this whole sneaky matter anyway so instead of trying to cover it up like how he’d done it with his parents the previous times, he pressed a finger against his lips, then beckoning Ren over.

“I need to take something from inside. Please don’t tell papa.”

Ren merely stared at him for a few moments before he nodded. With a gratified smile, Wilhelm led both of them into the room, sprinting right towards the study table and immediately found his way under the table.

“There you are!”

The stone was finally lifted off his chest. Gripping the piece of card as if his whole life was depending on it, he put it on the table, while Ren jumped onto it, staring at the piece of paper as if he was scanning it in and out.

“What is this?” he asked, pointing a short paw at the edge of it.

“Shhh.” Wilhelm pressed a finger against his lips. “Secret,” was all he said before he stretched and located a pen. Ren waited as the younger boy scribbled in the card. It only took him a while. Once he was done, he put the pen back to where it belonged and jumped off the chair, hopping his way towards the exit.

Aoba was in the living room. Laying on the couch with his arm covering his eyes, he let out gradual, heavy breathing, with absolutely no idea that both his son and his AllMate had just sneaked up to him.

…which was a great help to Wilhelm.

He took a quick look at the clock – _she_ should be in the house now. Without wasting more time, he tiptoed towards the door, with Ren following closely behind him, and walked out of the house.

As expected, the little girl Wilhelm had in mind was squatting in front of a pot of flowers with a packet of seeds lying beside her when Wilhelm stepped into the clear lawn. The soft sunlight had painted a layer of tranquil warmth on her beautiful blonde hair, her white gown appeared more striking than ever under the sunny sky. Wilhelm had encountered her by chance – once, when they were about to head out for dinner; and the second time when he waved at her as he had his face pressed against the living room window just to have her waving back at him from her own garden – and ever since then, he decided that _she_ would be the person he’d entrust his ‘secret’ with.

“Hello,” Wilhelm called out delicately. He propped against the fence, just enough to reach out to his neighbour. The girl looked up upon hearing his voice. Her smile was so dazzling it had Wilhelm’s heart skip a beat.

“Hello,” she responded. While Wilhelm lost his words, she stood up, walking closer towards him just so she could talk to him. “Good morning, Wilhelm.”

Wilhelm swallowed down his throat, his grasp on the paper became ever so snugger.

Noticing his gawkiness, the girl let out a small giggle. “What’s the matter?”

She seemed to be his age, and there was no reason as to why Wilhelm should be daunted by her. Taking a deep breath, he lifted the piece of card up and pushed it over the fence.

“Thank you, Christkind.” And before the girl could even say anything, Wilhelm had turned his back towards her, running back into the room; the loud bang he made when he closed the door had Aoba jump from the couch.

 

`[ 10 days to Christmas ]`

 

“Wilhelm!”

He held his rapid paces near the door when Aoba called out to him. Once he was done with dressing himself up with thick layers of clothing, he’d dashed out of his room, too excited to wait for another second. Aoba ran towards him, a scarf on his hands as he stopped, breathing profoundly before he wrapped the thick material around his son’s neck.

“You’ll get a cold if you don’t prepare yourself properly, you know?” he lectured, all the while with a concerned expression on his face.

That was the last thing he needed. His parents were officially on holiday now, which meant they’d be able to spend more time together, just like how they’d promised him.

“Okay, you’re all done.” Aoba said with a beam.

“ _You_ are not.”

Noiz emerged from behind them, holding what looked like a whole set of winter wear in his hands. He was already in his own thick coatings of outfit – a set of white coat with dark blue undershirt alongside a bushy dark green scarf enfolding around his neck. As Aoba stood and took the set of coat away from Noiz’s hands, Noiz hurried towards Wilhelm, just in time to stop him from opening the door by himself.

“Hold on. Let’s wait for everyone to be ready,” he hushed, visibly ignoring the pout Wilhelm was wearing on his face.

It took a while, but when Aoba reappeared in the living room, he was in a whole set of thick suit himself; white coat shielded the most of his torso, blue pants with matching colour inner shirt and a maroon scarf embracing his neck.

“Okay, I’m done,” he said, pulling the hand warmer over his wrist. “Let’s go.”

“No, you’re not,” Noiz said again. Seizing a beanie from the couch, he put it on Aoba’s head, positioning it just nice to cover his ears before he let out a trifling smirk. “Now you are.”

From Wilhelm’s angle, he could clearly make out the feeble hue of blush on Aoba’s face – was it because it was too cold? he wondered. But then, a frown replaced his initial pout as he gave Noiz a light tug, then grabbing another beanie from the couch as well before he aggressively pushed it onto Noiz’s head.

“Says the brat who’s not even done himself,” he mumbled, eliciting a small chuckle out of Noiz.

It took a few more minutes for their final preparations before they were _finally_ out of their house, instant winter air blowing right on their faces, freezing them to the bones.

“Are you okay?” Noiz asked as he clutched his son’s tiny hand. The weather had become colder over the days, the streets damped and Christmas decorations could be spotted along the way as they walked down the pavement – towards one of the biggest Christmas markets they were about to visit. The sun was bright in the sky, blanketing the warmth they very much needed to elevate their outing spirit. With rosy cheeks, Aoba halted their steps once a while, just to make sure that the scarf his son was wearing was properly shielding his reddened ears and half of his face. Every breath they took created visible puffs of air; words they spoke floated in the frozen air and dissolved in the next second.

“I’m okay!” Wilhelm exclaimed excitedly. His father’s hand was big and warm; it was his favourite thing. But his _other_ father’s hand was warm too, albeit not as big as Noiz’s. While he held onto both of his fathers’ hands, he skipped happily down the road. It was the kind of bliss he’d always yearned for. They didn’t even need to do anything too spendthrift; just quiet, peaceful times like these were more than enough to make Wilhelm’s heart flutter in joy. It wasn’t as if his parents never spent time with him, but regardless of how much time they were to spend together, it was never enough – Aoba and Noiz were his only closest family members after all.

“What are we going to do there?” he asked enthusiastically. He knew that they were going to a ‘market’ but he had absolutely no idea what was going to happen. His parents always had plans for him, and he trusted them; because he always ended up extremely happy at the end of the day anyway.

“We are going to buy _a lot_ of stuff,” Aoba grinned defiantly.

“What happened to ‘don’t spend too much again’?” Noiz teased, lifting a sideway gaze at Aoba’s direction.

“This is an exception,” Aoba elevated his tone.

“Gifts?! Presents for everyone?!” Wilhelm said animatedly again.

“Uhuh,” Aoba nodded. “And beautiful things to decorate our house.”

“I want to buy presents! For Granny! For Uncle Koujaku! For Uncle Clear! For Uncle Theo!”

“What about us?” Aoba acted a let-down expression.

“For papa too!” Wilhelm hastily corrected, drawing light chortles out of both Noiz and Aoba at the same time.

“We’ll buy presents for you too,” Aoba said gently, ruffling his son on the hair with his free hand. “You haven’t tell me what you want for present, by the way.”

Wilhelm tilted his head. He remembered Aoba asking him about it a few weeks back but he’d never given it any serious thoughts before. Because…

“You have already given me presents!”

Because being with his parents like this now was all that he ever asked for. Simple times, just three of them holding each other hands and talking about casual stuff; all these were more than enough to compensate for all the presents he never thought he’d have.

He didn’t know what the implication of Noiz and Aoba’s smiles then; but perhaps the snugger grasps on his tiny hands when both of them did at the same time meant something – perhaps he’d know what it meant when he grew older, just like what his parents had always told him.

He dropped his jaw when they reached their destination. He’d been to markets before, but his memories were foggy and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever properly understood exactly _what_ was in a market before. But now, as he stared at the cosmic scene in front of him, he found himself confounded. The smell of fir resin and almonds intermingled in the air, chattering brushed past their ears with great intensity, all the lights from the stalls were illuminated in an exceptional way that he was sure that it was forming a striking picture of itself. From a distance, he could faintly hear sounds of ringing bells, as well as melodies of festive. Everyone around him seemed very busy with their own businesses, even Noiz and Aoba graced expressions as if they didn’t know where they should begin. 

It felt like a whole new world for him; it was when Aoba turned to look at Noiz that the silence between them was broken.

“I think we should start by finding a beanie for this little one first,” he smiled bitterly, obviously noticed how astounded both his husband and his son were.

“Yeah,” Noiz replied meekly. It was then that Wilhelm noticed that he was the only one without a beanie, unlike his parents.

In fact, he didn’t think he ever owned a beanie before.

“That one looks cute!” Aoba exclaimed, pulling both of them happily towards one of the nearest stalls.

What Aoba had pointed out was a green-coloured beanie with what seemed like rabbit ears poking out from the top of it. Without another word, he pushed it onto Wilhelm’s head, making sure to cover his ears then letting out a contented grin.

 “Hm, hm, looks good on you. What do you think?” he budged his sight to Noiz then, who then squatted down to adjust the hat on his son’s head.

“Looks like me,” he said with brightened eyes.

“Indeed,” Aoba chuckled, surprised that Noiz had blurted something so blatant like this in such an off-the-cuff way. Well, he was Noiz after all. “Looks like you when you were a brat, huh?”

They weren’t even exaggerating. Besides of his son’s pair of light-brown eyes, his blond hair alongside his features had always been a great replication of Noiz. It often made Aoba feel as if he was looking at a Noiz in his baby years, until when Wilhelm lifted a wide grin with perky gaze that he found himself staring at a duplication of himself instead. It was simply incredible how they could see both of themselves in their son; but the fact that they’d come this far was already amazing in its own league anyway.

“This is it then,” Aoba pronounced, taking his wallet out to pay for the new item.

“Papa,” Wilhelm called out to Noiz, his hands twirling with the floppy parts of the beanie that were its ears. “Do you wear this when you were younger?”

“Oh yes, he did,” Aoba answered in Noiz’s place. Slanting closer to his son, he whispered. “I’ll show you pictures when we’re back home.”

He couldn’t understand why Noiz looked so distressed with Aoba’s suggestion.

Fearing that he might have accidentally infuriated his father, he nippily looked at the stall where he’d just bought his beanie again.

“Papa! Let’s buy those for Ren and Midori!” He was pointing at two small-sized hats, one in green and another in blue.

Aoba let out a gaudy laugh. “Wow, this sure reminds me of good ol’ times.”

And for some reason, Noiz’s face was tinted with a darker layer of agitation, something that Aoba conveniently hushed away as he dragged both of them into the crowd of the market by the arms.

The rest of the strolling was focused on looking out for various decorations for their house – bright glass ornaments, wreaths, tinsel, linens, and a lot more of the other items that Aoba never knew the names of. Wilhelm had the most fun amongst the three of them; he made most of the decisions for colour and pattern choices, and his spirit only lifted when it came to the end of the shopping – when they were finally down to choosing Christmas presents for friends and family.

“Hmmm…” Wilhelm squatted in front of one of the stalls, staring earnestly at the rows of glass bottles – inside every one of the bottles contained candies of various flavours, and with every bottle, there was a card on top of it, something that looked like a sort of greeting card.

“Can we buy this for Granny?” he pointed at one of the bottles, looking up at Aoba.

“Granny doesn’t like sweet stuff though,” Aoba smiled bitterly. “Let’s buy her a scarf?”

“Oh, okay!” Wilhelm nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on the glass bottles, seemingly still reserved to let them go. “Can we give this to Uncle Koujaku then?”

“Ah well…” Aoba trailed. Koujaku wasn’t a person who favoured sweet food either. “Maybe for Uncle Clear? He’d like it.”

“Really?!”

“Yup.”

“Can we?” Wilhelm’s smile brightened.

“Of course.”

They chose a bright-coloured scarf for Tae after that, and another darker-coloured one for Koujaku right after. Theo’s present was a tough choice. After long deliberations, they decided on a premium pen in the end, which Aoba thoughtfully explained to a confused Wilhelm that it’d help him out with his work if they were to give him this as a present.

Wilhelm was considerate himself; he always was. And he trusted absolutely _everything_ his parents told him.

It was already late evening by the time they finally found their way home,. Despite Noiz’s intention to look out for a restaurant for a meal that night, it wasn’t physically possible for them either; not with the amount of shopping bags they were carrying with them while they struggled their way home to simple homemade meals.

 

`[ 5 Days to Christmas ]`

 

He still remembered the shock on his parents’ face when he brought _him_ home for the first time ever. It wasn’t his idea, but Aoba’s, along with Tae’s, who’d come over to Germany just so she could help them out with their babysitting. She thought that they could at least to do it for the sake of courtesy. Wilhelm was their grandson after all. Aoba still remembered the hesitance Noiz had worn on his face when he suggested this name for their first son. He’d told – _convinced_ – Noiz that it wasn’t a cursed name, in which Noiz ended up confessing that he had never been able to shoulder the weight of the name well enough and the last thing he needed was for his son to feel burdened over what was enforced on him even before he could make sense of things.

But Aoba flicked a finger against his forehead, telling him that he’d see him as both Noiz and Wilhelm regardless if he liked it or not. Giving their son his name wasn’t a form of suppression, but it was a form of rebirth for both of them; for Noiz, especially.

“It’d fit him well. He’d be a great guardian,” Aoba had told Noiz sensibly then, eventually sealing the deal.

They’d expected the astounding features on their parents’ faces when they saw their son, bearing _his_ name, above everything else. They’d expected them to take time – months, years even – to accept this very truth that they had a grandson now and that that very grandson’s name was none other but _Wilhelm_ , one name that’d come to send chills down their spine.

If time was the only solution, then so be it. But when Noiz showed Aoba a text message from Theo, a clear indication of an invitation to a Christmas dinner over at their family’s place, a faint sense of hope starting blooming from within them.

“Should we go?” Aoba wondered while Noiz stared at his Coil screen, as if attempting to interpret a code of some sort. “We should,” Aoba ended up answering his own question.

It was an answer Noiz had expected anyway. Aoba wasn’t one to escape; rather, he was always the one who’d thrust his head right into a hard-hitting wall and find his way out at the end of the day.

Their son seemed more excited than anything else when they stepped into the car Theo had prepared for them. He stared out of the window, amazed at every single thing that had flashed past it. Sometimes Noiz and Aoba found themselves hoping that they had the positivity their son possessed at this very moment. Wilhelm didn’t ask a lot of questions either. All that he’d been asking was an innocent ‘Where are we going?’ and that was all. It’d be too complicated to explain the situation to their son anyhow so they remained secretive with the tangles that were entrapping their chests while they sent sporadic stares at each other’s direction when Wilhelm wasn’t looking.

They didn’t remember bringing Wilhem back home for years, ever since he was born. The invitation came as a bombshell, there was no doubt about it; but it also presented them an opportunity to break the unseen walls between themselves and Noiz’s parents.

Wilhelm might just be the perfect key both parties needed.

“Wow!” Wilhelm exclaimed the moment he stepped into the big hall that was Noiz’s family house.

“Welcome!” Theo was already standing in the hallway when they stepped out of the car, greeting them with his usual upbeat smile. “Wilhelm! You’re as energetic as usual, I see.”

“Uncle Theo!” Wilhelm cried, running right towards Theo and leapt into his embrace. Theo had been a frequent visitor in their house, it was no wonder that Wilhelm got attached to him, even more so when Theo was also an important presence in his life who’d literally witnessed his growth.

“How are you?” Theo beamed, ruffling Wilhelm on the hair at the same time.

“I’m good!” He remembered when he first saw Wilhelm, he looked like a tiny puppy, quivering whenever someone talked to him and discernibly fearful towards everything he encountered. But now, he was this jolly boy who possessed astounding mannerism and charisma that made him even more precious than before. “How about Uncle Theo?”

Theo chuckled, putting Wilhelm back down on the floor. “I’m good too. It’s nice seeing all of you today.”

“Hello, Theo,” Aoba greeted with a calm smile as he nudged a visibly displeased Noiz with his elbow. “Thank you for the invitation.”

“Ah, it was Father and Mother who had invited you,” Theo scratched the back of his head. “Thank you for accepting the invitation.”

“You’re welcome,” Aoba nodded. Across time, he’d come to learn of ways to bring himself, especially when he was in the presence of Noiz’s family. His inelegance long gone, he was now more composed, and definitely more charming than ever.

“Dinner’s ready. I’ll lead you to the dining room,” Theo continued, noticing the awkwardness in their conversation flow.

“Come here, Wilhelm,” Noiz held out a hand.

Wilhelm was still very much impressed by the house as they walked down the corridors. He gaped at every expensive-looking decorations he saw, letting all silent hitches of breath when one of the house maids bowed at him. His son’s reaction reminded him of himself when he first visited Noiz’s parents’ house and for a moment, it made Aoba feel bad that their apartment looked way too shabby as compared to how this house looked like.

As expected, Noiz’s parents were already seated in the dining hall when they walked in. The food on the table looked way too lavish for Aoba’s preference, though – chargrilled asparagus wrapped in smoked salmon served with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, honey roast pork belly, oyster mushroom, and some of the other food that Aoba had never seen before. It almost felt like they’d landed themselves in one of the most expensive restaurants in town.

“Please have a seat.” Realizing that they’d been standing gracelessly for a few seconds now, they took speedy steps towards their seats upon hearing Noiz mother’s courteous urge. At this point, Aoba was almost feeling bad for even exposing his son into this environment. Their son was still very young, very innocent, and definitely very vulnerable towards whatever threats – visible or not – that were posing towards him. Feeling a clench in the heart, a thin frown drawn in between Aoba’s eyebrows as he lifted his gaze and focused them on Noiz’s parents instead.

“Thank you for dropping by.” It was Noiz’s mother who’d spoken up first. Noiz’s father seemed as if he was still finding his words, but his attention was on Wilhelm, who was staring intensely at the roasted meal in front of him.

“You’re welcome,” Aoba responded. He’d been kind and nice towards Noiz’s family for the entire time he was in Germany now. He didn’t find any harm of doing so as long as they weren’t posing any threats towards his family. Besides, this was Noiz’s family, so technically, it was _his_ family as well.

“Thank you for bringing him over too,” the mother continued, sending a gaze at Wilhelm’s direction. Gathering that he was being stared at, Wilhelm immediately jumped off his chair, giving both Noiz’s parents a ninety-degree bow before he flashed a perky grin at their direction.

“My name is Wilhelm. Nice to meet you, grandpa, granny!”

The stoic look that graced the features of Noiz’s parents in the next second was too priceless to forgo. Wilhelm, however, acted as if he didn’t see anything before he returned to his seat. It wasn’t even the fact that he’d greeted his grandparents in a Japanese style but it was more like he’d outwardly greeted Noiz’s parents as his ‘grandpa’ and ‘granny’ that had forged a fascinated expression on both of their faces.

“Wilhelm…” Noiz’s father muttered under his breath. Aoba swallowed down his throat. They’d never asked his parents’ permission before they named their son – Noiz didn’t deem it necessary, Aoba agreed – but now that they were put in such situation, it was hard to look away from it. Was it offensive to pluck Noiz’s birth name – the one that his _parents_ had given him – just like that and planted it onto _their own son_ instead?

“He looks just like Wilhelm,” Noiz’s mother said, a thin smile curving at the corners of her lips as she continued scrutinizing the little child.

Aoba wasn’t even sure if she meant that their son looked like Noiz or if she meant he looked like… well, Wilhelm himself.

“He used to be like this before--” the mother left her words hanging in mid-air. But she didn’t need to say more for everyone in the room to understand what she meant.

“So… Noi—I mean…” Aoba started, intending to break the ice in the conversation.

“’Noiz’ is fine,” the mother smiled. “It’s how you call him, right?” she ended, lifting a transitory gaze at Noiz’s direction.

Aoba beamed. “Yeah. So, Noiz was like this when he was younger?”

“He was,” the mother agreed. Stretching a hand to pat her grandson on the hair, she said again. “He’s as cheerful as how this child is.”

The father wasn’t expressive for the entire meal, merely focusing on dining and giving Wilhelm intermittent fleeting looks. It was extremely hard to tell what was in the man’s mind. But at the end of the day, it came to Aoba’s realization that perhaps all he’d ever wanted was to take a good glimpse at his one and only grandson – one who was bearing his _son_ ’s name, and one who was like the son he never had.

They survived it in one piece even though the atmosphere during the dining session was rigid. Aoba let out a heavy sigh once they were out of the main hall, walking out of the door and making their way back to where a car was waiting for them. After a quick ‘See you later’ at Theo, they stepped into the car, finally driving their way back to their own home.

“Are we going home now?” Wilhelm asked sleepily as he leaned against Aoba’s arm. Finding it endearing, Aoba embraced him into a one-arm hug, then resting his head on top of his son’s head before he said,

“Yeah, we’re going home now.”

It still bothered him when he thought about the extravagance his son had come to see when they were in Noiz’s parents’ house. It was their choice to reside in a mediocre apartment, for there was only the three of them. And it was Aoba’s choice which had insisted all of them to keep each other close at all times, making sure that there were no unnecessary hurdles in between them to interact with each other, physical or not.

But would their son prefer otherwise? Would he rather stay in a bigger house over the average apartment they were now residing in?

“Yay…” Wilhelm closed his eyes, fatigue obvious in his tone. “I miss home…”

Noiz’s chuckles when their son said that created a spasm of warmth in his chest. He was lucky he was quick enough to look away before Noiz could get the chance to tease him on his almost-falling tears.

 

`[ 2 days before Christmas ]`

 

The windows on the Advent Calendar were almost fully opened by now. The scenery beneath the window had taken a turn; it was now filled with tall buildings, an atmosphere which was very much different from the previous windows. But now, the two bunnies had an extra tinier bunny alongside them – one that was yellow in colour and one that had furs like the blue bunny but with an expression like the green bunny.

Wilhelm gazed momentarily at the adorable scene before he heard a loud thud from outside of his room, urging him to roll off his bed, wanting to check out what was happening. It was late evening then and they just had their dinner. Aoba had rushed Wilhelm into the bathroom for a shower, then rushing out of it when Wilhelm was comfortably settled in the bathtub. But even when he was done, Aoba wasn’t back. So, taking things into his own hands, he’d raised from the bathtub himself, wiped himself dry and walked back to his room, assuming that Aoba was occupied with other matters.

But as soon as he was about to walk towards the living room, his path was blocked by a big shadow, causing him to stepped back for a bit.

“Done with shower?” Noiz was looking at him. He had sweat trickling down his cheek, his hair dishevelled, as if he’d just returned from a frantic marathon.

“Uh,” Wilhelm nodded, taken aback by this sudden interference.

“Let’s go back to your room,” Noiz said, gripping his son on the hand and leading him towards the direction of his room.

“Is papa okay?” Wilhelm asked. That loud thud he heard from just now was definitely something; definitely not something dainty, he was sure of it. It wasn’t usual for Noiz – not Aoba – to rush his son back to his room either. He was usually the one who paired up with his son to make fun of Aoba, in any case. This shift of direction did nothing but further intensify Wilhelm’s curiosity.

“He’s fine. He has some matters to handle.” If Noiz said he’s fine, then he should be fine then, Wilhelm concluded.

As soon as they were in the comfort of his room, Wilhelm struggled out of Noiz’s clutch, hurried towards his bed and hopped on it. While Noiz closed the door, he scrambled under the sheets, then patting at the vacant space beside him with a wholehearted smile on his face.

“Come here, papa!”

Noiz needn’t be told twice. For some reason, his son was always very excited when either him or Aoba – sometimes the both of them – made his appearance in his room. It was as if he wanted to share something that he’d been keeping secret for a long time and he just couldn’t wait to share this very secret with his parents.

“What are you up to?” Noiz let out a tongue-in-cheek smile. The bed was too small for the both of them but the crunch was immediately solved when Wilhelm climbed on top of Noiz and ultimately settling himself restfully in between his legs.

“Nothing!” he grinned blazingly at his father. Perhaps this was what Aoba had been telling Noiz, that sometimes he _really_ didn’t need to do too much – like buying bags after bags of presents for his family – to make them happy. Simple company like this was more than enough. They didn’t exchange much words either; all Wilhelm did was playing with Noiz’s fingers, stroking his broken little finger before he nuzzled his cheek against Noiz’s palm.

“Papa is so warm!” He released a contented sigh as he said that, sending a pang of warmth directly to Noiz’s chest.

“I wish my hand can be as big as yours one day!” Wilhelm said again, elating his face up and pressing his tiny hand against Noiz’s palm.

“One day, you will,” Noiz replied docilely, caressing the back of his son’s hand with a thumb.

“As big as yours?” Wilhelm beamed spiritedly.

“Yeah, perhaps bigger,” Noiz chuckled.

“I don’t want to have big hands!” Wilhelm pouted in response. “I like papa’s hands!”

There were still visible scars on Noiz’s hands; scars that he’d engraved for himself and scars that would stay as a permanent reminder for him throughout his entire life. He’d never seen his own hands as something valuable for him besides of helping him in eliminating pointless inconvenience. He thought his hands were ugly; his skin rough, the scars were gruesome. But Aoba had kissed him dearly on his broken finger before, worshipped the whole of his hand before, and he’d even made Aoba feel tremendously good with this very pair of hands. Now that his son had outwardly proclaimed how much he loved this very pair of hands at him, he thought that perhaps he could start accepting how his hands naturally were now. Finally.

“But I don’t want you have my pair of hands,” Noiz said, using his free hand to cuddle his son closer at the same time.

“Why…” Wilhelm sounded miserable with a hint of confusion.

“These hands have a lot of scars,” Noiz said, voice deadpanned. “They are ugly.”

“But papa said that that’s because you’re a great, strong man! That’s why you have scars!”

What _exactly_ had Aoba been teaching their son about him all this while?

“Maybe you would want papa’s hand instead. His hands are…” he stopped, attempting to envision Aoba’s hands in his head. “…beautiful.”

“En!” Wilhelm agreed. “Papa has beautiful hands!”

“Right?”

“But so do you! Both of my papas have beautiful hands! I want to be like both of you!”

He wasn’t even sure if he was the best role model for his son. Aoba would probably be a better candidate but there was no way he could dismiss the heart-wrenching sensation he felt from beneath his chest when his son said that.

He wasn’t even the best role model for himself; but before he knew it, he’d become a person his son, his closest family member, came to look up to. His son saw his flaws as his perfections, saw his perfections as an example. He accepted him as how Aoba did.

Flabbergasted by the thought, he pulled his hand out of his son’s grasp, holding his son up with both hands to face him as he leaned in to kiss him on the forehead.

“You’ll be a much better person than the both of us. And we’ll see you through it,” he smiled.

He thought his smile was reserved for Aoba alone. He didn’t know since when did he start being able to present such a genuine smile to someone other than Aoba, but a person he truly cherished all the same.

 

`[ Christmas ]`

 

The clandestine of the loud thud revealed itself two days later, on Christmas day. Wilhelm woke the earliest in the morning, thumping deafeningly on his parents’ door before the door was swung opened, revealing a sleepy Noiz, bed hair apparent with dazed eyes.

“Merry Christmas, papa!” Wilhelm exclaimed. Without waiting for Noiz to say anything, he gripped his father’s wrist and hauled him into the room, where he found Aoba bundled under the thick layers of blankets, visibly asleep.

“Papa! Wake up! It’s Christmas!” He jumped on the bed, his entire weight almost falling on Aoba if Noiz hadn’t been catching him back fast enough.

“Careful,” Noiz mumbled, rubbing his eye with one hand. “You don’t want your father to end up staying in bed for the entire day on Christmas.”

“B-but, papa is not waking up…” Wilhelm whined. Noiz, however, lifted an impish smirk before he put his son down, crawled onto the bed and crept towards Aoba, who’d rolled to his side.

“Morning, father,” Noiz whispered against his ear. No response. Two more seconds later and Noiz proceeded to inch closer, licking Aoba on the ear shell before he hovered over him and ultimately pressing a soft kiss against Aoba’s lips.

“Hng…” Aoba moaned. One knowing stare at his AllMate had Midori – alongside the very kind assistance of Ren - hurrying Wilhelm out of the room, saying something about wanting to get him prepared first.

Noiz made sure that their coast was clear before he embraced the entire of Aoba’s body into his arms, trailing his lips in a featherlike way along Aoba’s nape and then sniffing on the back of his ear before he nipped provocatively on his earlobe.

“Wake up, Aoba,” he muttered under his breath. Aoba was probably awake, or not. There was only one way to find out. The next second, Noiz was already tilting his husband’s chin over, just so he could plunge his tongue in to lick the whole of Aoba’s mouth. The kiss lasted until Aoba was too out of breath to catch up with Noiz’s fervent that he pushed Noiz away, panting profoundly.

“Can’t you wake me up the normal way?” he growled, wiping his lips with the back of his mouth with a frown.

“I did,” Noiz smirked, licking his upper lips as he gave Aoba yet another heated stare. “It didn’t work.”

Aoba sent an immediate glare at Noiz’s direction before he struggled out of bed, let out a brash stretch, gave Noiz another glare, then beckoned him to move out of the bed with a finger.

“C’mon, we’ve got lots of things to do today.”

Noiz obeyed with a playful smirk. “We’ll continue this tonight then.”

He wasn’t able to dodge the pillow that Aoba had decided to send his way before he stormed out of the room.

When Noiz finally made his way out of the room he found Aoba and Wilhelm in the living room; Wilhelm gaping at a wastefully decorated Christmas tree while Aoba stood by his side, a face of proudness gracing his features.

“So this was what happened last night!” Wilhelm said with bated breath. Aoba must have found him staring at the tree while he was on his way to the bathroom. The tree was, unquestionably, one of the most beautiful trees Noiz had seen in his entire life. They’d spent nights decorating it without their son’s knowledge, putting up the ornaments, the light extensions and various tiny decorations – gingerbread man, candies – as well as testing it for several times before it finally came to life. It was the hard work of both of them, just so they could see the happiness their son was wearing on his face now.

“This is amazing!” Wilhelm said, running forward to stroke the stocking Aoba hung on one of the tree branches. “But you didn’t let me decorate this too…” His expression changed from one of elation to one of grief in the next second, blowing the delight out of Aoba and Noiz’s chests in no time.

“Ah, well…” Aoba quickly rushed to his son, patting him on the head as he pulled a stack of boxes towards them. “It is said that if we let our children decorate the tree before Christmas their souls would be consumed by demons.”

“Demons…?” Wilhelm’s eyes wavered. He’d heard about it before, but only from storybooks.

“Yeah. We aren’t prepared to let you go. Heck, I don’t think we’ll ever be ready to let you go.”

The trick seemed to be working. In the next minute, Wilhelm’s grin returned to his face, his attention shifted to the boxes Aoba had shown him instead.

“But you can help us with arranging the boxes. How does that sound?”

Of course he could; his excited jumps had told Aoba the answer, and Aoba had to calm him down once again, taught him out to put the present boxes neatly under the tree before he and Noiz could finally retreat into the bathroom for their long-awaited morning wash-up.

It’d been cold for the past few days, but the chilliness had reached a different level on this particular morning. Even though Aoba opened the window just to allow moderate amount of cold air into the warm room, he closed it in an instant, regretting his decision. The wind bit on his face with ferocity so intense it was almost unusual. It was bitter and raw; and it felt as if it was threatening to suck every remaining drop of hot air out of him. He was grateful that they’d completed all their shopping and house-visiting before Christmas so now all that was left for them were mere indoor activities. There was no snow yet, the sky a uniform grey. It looked like a great day to do nothing but cuddle under the warmth of their thick blankets with mugs of hot chocolate in their hands to keep them warm.

But inside the house, it was a whole new picture altogether. It was a place of warmth, like a safe sanctuary protecting people in the house from external threats. Wrought in the heat, the windows were glazed, blocking the outside scenes. The spotlight of the space was, without question, the Christmas tree. Wilhelm had long done with his gift arrangement when Aoba and Noiz walked out of the bathroom. The gifts glistened under the ornamented tree, and it didn’t take long before the house was blanketed in sweet, cedar fragrance that was the meals they had prepared together.

It was only the three of them, but it was more than enough. This was the family every one of them had ever yearned for.

After a quick meal, they sat on the couch - Ren rested on Aoba’s lap, Midori bouncing happily on the arm of the couch – while they resorted to a round of board game. They spoke about what they wanted to do in the future, of all the places they wanted to visit together, of all the presents they wanted to give each other. They talked about how to spread happiness to everyone they’d come across.

Despite the hefty decoration around their house, there was nothing too luxurious about how they spent their Christmas day. Perhaps the simple yet meaningful way they were leading now was a treat of itself. Because none of them, especially not Aoba and Noiz, had imagined themselves to lead a life like this ten years back.

It was remarkable what life had in store for you, isn’t it? It was a question Aoba had been asking himself for the longest time ever, and he was sure that Noiz had been asking himself the same question all this while as well.

Dinner was prepared together too. Right when the clock hit five, Wilhelm dashed into the kitchen first, followed closely by Aoba and Noiz. It wasn’t an easy task either. They debated on what type of sauce to use on the meat, how long they should keep their boar roasted, and what kind of decorations they should put on their cake. Everyone in the house had different opinions and different preferences. It was fine. Because at the end of the day, what mattered should be how they’d come to accept each other, including their differences, and learn how to adapt with each other at the same time. They’d be living with each other for the rest of their life anyway. Fights were definitely the last thing they needed.

At 20:00 sharp, they were all crowded on the dining table, dishes and the cutleries well laid on the table. The dripping essence of the plump roast goose elicited spits and cackles from the fire, mouth-watering salmons lined by the turkey’s sides, a crude pot containing a wild range of vegetables boiled next to the main dish. The sweet fragrance of _Christollen_ and mashed potatoes filled the space as they exchanged discourse, with three glasses of mixed fruit juice as a good completion to their humble Christmas menu.

Wilhelm was about to doze off after dinner; but he stayed awake. The moment the clock stroke 23:00, he was the first to sit on the couch again, staring eagerly at his parents as they walked, hand-in-hand, to join him.

“Hurry, hurry!” he rushed. Laughing quietly, Noiz tapped his fingers on the coffee table, where Midori bounced happily onto it and, on signal, a hologram screen was drawn from the top of his head, reflecting a big font of ‘Dialling’ on the screen.

Wilhelm didn’t say anything more, but the way he was swinging his legs in such a concerted way gave out how impatient he was while he waited. It was a small clicking sound later that had him leaning forward, his grin brightening when the screen switched, revealing the faces of four people – people he loved greatly.

“Granny!” he squealed first. “Uncle Koujaku! Uncle Clear! Uncle Mizuki!”

“Yo,” Koujaku grinned. It was 6:00 in Midorijima but when Aoba expressed his intention to call home during Christmas, all four of them agreed without another word. They had been home frequent enough, but every interaction like this – physical or not – was special regardless; it was something that they definitely would not want to miss.

“How’s Christmas been?”

“Master! Tiny Master!”

“Aoba, how are you?”

Everyone was speaking, the room was filled with excited chatters and Aoba had totally no idea which question he should counter first. But even if he was about to say something, words were too hard for him. His voice was stuck in his throat, his hand gripping Noiz’s a bit firmer at the first visual the hologram screen gave out.

They’d been home frequent enough; but no matter how frequent they were to see each other like this, Aoba couldn’t help but feel a clench in his heart, to the extent that it made breathing difficult.

He missed home, he missed the times when he worked in Heibon and had nothing to worry about besides annoying stalker phone calls and the groceries. But he also adored the life he shared now, with his own family, with Noiz, with Wilhelm, here in Germany.

Isn’t it amazing to see what life has in store for you? The same question resounded in his head again and, for a split moment, he thought the voice sounded deeper, huskier than he remembered his own voice to be.

“We’re good!” Wilhelm came to the rescue. “Do you celebrate Christmas?”

All four of them laughed. “We don’t,” Koujaku answered. “But we'd like to see how you celebrate it.”

“Christmas is fun!” Wilhelm exclaimed. “We bought you presents and oh, oh! I decorated the tree, I put gifts under it.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Tae said. Aoba could hear her voice shivered just a tad even though she was obviously trying to obscure it. “Remember to brush your teeth before you go to sleep.”

“En!” Wilhelm nodded heartily. “Papa always brush teeth with me!”

“Do they now?” Tae smiled.

“Tiny Master! I want to send you presents too!” Clear had squeezed himself in front of the screen, taking up most of the screen space.

“Okay! Ah, but…” Wilhelm’s voice turned small at the end. “You don’t have to…”

“But I want to!” Clear retorted enthusiastically. Every now and then, their son’s enthusiasm reminded them of Clear. It made them wonder how they’d never realized that that was how they’d been getting along so well all this while.

“Are you doing well there, Aoba?” Koujaku’s attention had shifted to Aoba while Clear and Mizuki started talking to Wilhelm about the type of presents they wanted to exchange with each other.

“Yeah, really well,” Aoba chortled, then flicking a frisky finger at the screen, where Koujaku’s forehead was. “You ask this every time you see me.”

“What can I do,” Koujaku shrugged. “You’re so out of reach now.”

“I call every few days, Koujaku,” Aoba pouted.

Koujaku, however, let out an affectionate beam, one that Aoba was so very used to when they were still buddies in Midorijima. “I know, I’m just teasing you.” As if attempting to emphasize his answer, he diverted his stare towards Noiz, who was also looking at him. “I’m sure he’ll keep his promise.”

Something must have happened between Noiz and Koujaku that’d led to this mutual understanding. Aoba couldn’t quite understand the deal between them – they’d met in a heat for unknown reasons, and even when there were still evident sparks between them whenever they interacted with each other, their dynamic was visibly gentler than before, even filled with concern.

“If anything is to happen though, or if you need an extra pair of limbs,” Koujaku grinned broadly. “You know who to look out for.”

“Of course. Thank you, as usual,” Aoba replied with a smile.

“And you too,” Koujaku waved the proclamation at Noiz. “I’ve heard about how you’re buying too much sweets for the little one.”

Noiz shrugged. He was well-aware that his son had been speaking to Koujaku every so often, but he never intervened what they were talking about, figuring that their son needed that sense of privacy as well.

“Don’t spoil him too much,” Koujaku said, and Noiz was _sure_ that he was smiling at him before that very shaft of light vanished in the next second.

“I’ll try,” he replied quietly, returning the smile he was certain that it wasn’t his imagination.

“Good, good. Oh, sorry,” Koujaku’s eyes brightened, suddenly reminded of something. “Tae-san wanted to say something as well, right?”

“Well, you have said everything I wanted to say anyway,” Tae closed his eyes, arms crossed. “Just remember to take care of yourself, okay? It’s getting very cold there, right? You aren’t used to cold. Remember to wear thicker layers when you go out. Buy a heater if you need. I can teach you how to make hot soup too.”

Aoba could only smile bitterly. Needless to say, everything his grandmother had told him were things he’d already done at home. But it was still heart-warming to hear how much his grandmother cared about him still. At that instance, he wanted so very much to hug his grandmother, to hug _everyone_ who had been looking after him even though he was thousand miles away from them now.

“I will…” His voice choked, the emotions that were stuck in his throat attempting to escape with every word he said. “Please take care too, Granny. Everyone else too.”

“Hmph, as if I need you to tell me this,” Tae looked away, eliciting a small laugh out of Aoba.

“We’ll see each other soon,” Noiz said, sounding the most composed amongst the others. “Next visit is scheduled to be next month.”

“I can buy things from here if you want anything!” Aoba quickly said.

“No need,” Tae was fast to respond. But, her expression switched from a tensed to a gentle one in the next second. “Just bring yourself back in one piece,” she ended.

Aoba was sure that he would’ve cried if his son hadn’t been shaking vigorously on his arm in the next second, telling him about how Clear had made him a tiny umbrella to bring to school.

The call lasted for half an hour. By the end of it, Wilhelm’s head was already dropping. Cuddling in Aoba’s embrace, he snored soundlessly, falling asleep almost immediately when Aoba wrapped him in the comfort of his own bed.

“Done?” Noiz whispered. Aoba patted his son gently on the head for the last time before he nodded, finally having time to face his husband properly.

“I’m all yours now,” he smirked.

Words weren’t necessary; it was how their relationship had come to form. Noiz was never a person with words, Aoba neither. But there was this fine chemistry between them that always made their communication effortless, as if every gesture they made possessed a language of its own that only their senses and bodies could understand.

He didn’t know how Noiz managed to secure the time for this but when he entered their bedroom, he found his jaw drop. It wasn’t overly extravagant; at least not the level where Aoba wouldn’t hesitate to land a punch on his husband’s head. Rather, it was the modest details that’d stretched the length for them. The room was dimly lit, tiny red-coloured linens lined along the walls, decorated elegantly around the furniture, the scent in the room submerged them in a nativity hallucination, as if they were stepping into a land of seclusion – one that only existed for them.

“Fancy a drink?” Noiz had walked into the room before Aoba, holding up a wine bottle as he waved it at Aoba’s direction. They’d been busy with Christmas preparations now, all the while thinking about various ways to make their son happy. But Noiz, as usual, had gone a step ahead of Aoba – the tedious preparation he’d done for _them_ alone had told Aoba so, the gentle smile his husband was wearing on his face now reminded him of the time when they got married.

“What’s Christmas without a drink, right?” he smirked. As Aoba sat on the couch, he could only stare as Noiz popped the wine bottle open, then pouring a half-glass for Aoba. “And since he’s asleep now, we wouldn’t need to worry about… anything at all.”

He was certain that Noiz implied something else when he spelled the last three words out at him. But he was right. This was a time exclusively for themselves, a time that they’d come to subconsciously yearned for, and a time that reminded them of who they truly were, before and after they’d fallen into this flow life had created for them.

“Cheers,” Noiz raised his wine glass, urging Aoba to do the same. “Thank you for everything and for great years to come.”

Aoba imitated him. With a perky grin, he drowned the wine down this throat, instantly feeling heat traveling from his tongue and ultimately creating a whirlpool of warmth inside him.

“Thank you for everything too,” he said.

The silence was deafening, but it was comforting. Yet, both of them knew that it was also a competition of endurance. Two glasses later, Noiz lifted himself up, leaning his body towards Aoba’s direction, catching Aoba off guard with a brief yet warm kiss on his lips. He chuckled in response. How did he manage to let his defence slip after all those years of realizing what his husband was capable of doing? But then again… As he lifted his eyes, capturing Noiz’s heated lime-green eyes right in front of him, he leaned in, pressing an equally passionate kiss back on his husband’s lips.

It was Noiz after all. What was there to be defensive about, right?

He’d let Noiz catch him off guard anytime he wanted. Because at the end of the day, he was sure that Noiz would pick him up again, like how he’d pick him up when he was in the deepest of his own anguish.

“Drunk already?” Noiz muttered under his breath. His lips felt wet, but the tingling warmth remained. It was addictive, and it made him want to feel it more, in places that were more than just his lips.

“Not really,” he whispered, hands lifting insentiently to pull the green muffler Noiz had been wearing seductively off his neck. His hands were on Noiz’s shoulders, about to peel his coat off for him when Noiz pressed his lips against Aoba’s neck, gratifying Aoba’s longing to feel him better.

“You’re so hot,” Noiz mumbled against his skin, licking a wet trail up to the back of his ears, nipping on his earlobe, then on his ear shell the same way he did it earlier in the morning.

Was it the atmosphere? Or was it the scent in the room? Or was it the wine? Whatever it was, Aoba felt as if he was intoxicated, as if Noiz’s sheer touch was enough to make him melt in his arms. His body was burning, like Noiz had thoughtfully reminded him of. Even when Noiz started striping him off his clothing, all he could feel was amplified fervour that had him speeding up his process of undressing his husband at the same time.

“Looks like you’re warm enough to keep me warm tonight,” Noiz teased again. One hand cupping Aoba’s jaw, he continued licking along Aoba’s jawline, tracing its outline until he found his tongue reaching Aoba’s lips. One misty, hungry gaze was all it took for him to lick his way into Aoba’s slightly opened mouth. His body shuddered in reflex upon hearing Aoba’s dismayed moans, his body temperature reacting to the calling of his partner. He tasted sweet, bitter, but all of those were mixture of Aoba and his passion, and he wanted nothing but to swallow them all and make them his all over again.

“Noiz, I—“Aoba had pulled himself off just to call out to his husband. “Please,” he sent a teary gaze at Noiz’s direction. “Make me yours again.”

He could physically feel his erection twitch beneath his pants. It was too suffocating to endure it any much longer so, carrying Aoba up bridal-style, he dropped both of them on the bed, striped both of them completely off their clothing, and hovered over Aoba with a look that spelled of powerful hunger.

“That’s against the rule, you know?” he smirked. “How many times do you want me to marry you?”

“As many times as you want,” Aoba mirrored his smirk. “But above all,” he paused, sat up, and brought his face towards where Noiz’s crotch was. “I want you to make me yours. Mark me, fill me up, anything. And in return,” he paused again, just to lift an upward gaze at Noiz. “I’ll make you mine as well.”

If Noiz’s hardened erection wasn’t enough to indicate how aroused he was, Aoba definitely felt it loud and clear when he took his whole length in with one push. Despite the destructive proclamation he’d blurted out at Noiz, his action was more languid than ever, totally betraying what he’d promised Noiz. It was as if he was savouring a very sweet, delicious candy, taking his own sweet time indulging in every inch of the sensitive skin, licking on every one of Noiz’s veins, pulling on his piercings with force so menacing that almost had Noiz come then and there.

Noiz’s breathing became laboured with every passing second, but right when Aoba rolled his tongue around the head of his dick, he cupped Aoba’s face, lifting it up so that he was staring into his eyes.

“What’s with making you mine, huh? The way I see it, you’re marking me more than I am doing it to you.”

“What do you suggest?” Words weren’t necessary, after all. A nimble grin later, Noiz pushed Aoba to lay on the bed, turning himself around so that he was hovering over Aoba, his dick pressing against Aoba’s lips, and with Aoba’s length right in front of his face as well.

“This is much better,” he said. “Want to see who’ll come first?”

Aoba was still in a state of stupor but the moment Noiz took his half-hard dick into his mouth, he sucked on the head of Noiz’s dick out of reflex, feeling the instant vibration on his own dick when Noiz moaned sensitively at the sudden stimulation.

For a long time, all that they could hear in the room was loud slurping noises and their own choked moans. Both of their mouths were on each other’s most sensitive parts; both of them attempting to match each other’s rhythm. When Noiz picked up speed, Aoba tried to comply with his too. When Aoba pulled on Noiz’s piercings, Noiz scratched, dragged his teeth along Aoba’s length in response. They were so immersed in sucking and making each other feel good that they got lost in the deep sense of lust, surrendering their bodies to their partners, trusting them to bring them to the best oblivions they had prepared for each other.

It was when Aoba felt Noiz’s finger wandering around his hole that he released Noiz’s dick with a vulgar pop.

“Noiz…” he moaned.

“Hm?” Noiz’s mouth was still on his dick, the intentional waves of vibration he sent right on his length when he hummed immediately had Aoba giving an impulsive curve of body.

He could hear his own groans. Quickly, he returned his mouth to Noiz’s dick, only sucking harder when Noiz finally sank one finger into him. The motion was so slow, so _patient_ that Aoba feel tears accumulating behind his eyes, the bitterness that was Noiz’s semen spread in his mouth with every hard suck. Noiz knew _exactly_ where his most sensitive spots were, even the ones _inside_ of him. But he was obviously avoiding it, and it was _torturing_.

“There,” he released Noiz’s dick again, no longer able to dismiss his genuine need. “…closer… ther—ah, yes!”

He hit it, but just once. Aoba was already breathing open-mouthed, hips thrusting to meet Noiz’s fingers, hand pumping on Noiz’s dick, his precum dripping from its slit and landing straight into Aoba’s opened mouth. Aoba took every drop in, licking on his lips occasionally when he missed some of it.

“I can’t stand it any longer,” Noiz said. Pulling Aoba’s completely hardened dick out of his mouth, he switched his position again, facing Aoba this time. Aoba was at a short-lived lost when Noiz’s dick left his line of vision. His face was in a mess – trails of semen rolling off his cheeks, saliva escaping the corner of his lips, and his expression was feverishly bloodshot that Noiz couldn’t help but lean in to kiss him on his cheeks, then giving him a deep, passionate kiss, tasting his own semen on Aoba’s tongue at the same time.

“I like to see your face when you’re so turned on like this,” he said, thumb rubbing on Aoba’s cheekbone as he pressed the head of his dick against Aoba’s hole. “Tell me, Aoba. How do you want it tonight? Fast? Slow?”

Aoba was in no state to reply, but he definitely knew what he wanted. Encircling his arms around Noiz’s shoulders, he budged himself up to kiss Noiz again, before he said, between kisses,

“Hard… rough…” Kisses, more kisses. “Mark me hard and fill me up deep.”

It took the entire of his willpower not to come then and there. He wanted Aoba, and Aoba obviously wanted him as well. Across years, Aoba had come to be completely transparent with him. He still possessed his natural fluster but when he fell downright into Noiz’s seductive trap like this, the truest nature of his was lured out, and in turn, turning the tables over and pulling Noiz into a temptation too impossible to resist at the same time.

“As you wish,” was all Noiz said before he plunged deep into Aoba with one strong thrust. Aoba arched his back, nails sinking into Noiz’s back, choked moans spilled from his lips. His toes curled, his body trembled, precum leaked all over his abdomen and only made worse when Noiz started _grinding_ his navel piercing against his sensitive balls.

“Ah! More, Noiz, deeper!”

It was _definitely_ the wine. But the wine was no cheating tool but a supporting weapon. This was Aoba’s rawest instinct and he wanted to capture them all. He wanted to see how Aoba lost himself in the sea of lust, how he asked for Noiz to fuck him over and over again, and how he craved for Noiz by the way he clung onto him and the way he reacted so destructively over every touch Noiz was giving him.

“Noiz… Noiz…” Noiz’s name was all that he could say. His head felt heavy, dizzy, _hot_. His body, his insides, his mind – all of them were _burning_. He felt as if he was melting with this heat and his half-conscious mind was giving him provocative thoughts to dissolve and become one with his husband at this very moment if he could.

“There!” he shouted. Every word of his was true, was sincere and was what he wanted. Noiz did not hesitate a bit when he gave Aoba exactly what he wanted, getting what _he_ himself wanted in return.

“You feel the best here, right?” Noiz’s heated whisper resounded in his ear. Their bodies pressed against each other, his dick rubbed in between them. “You take me in perfectly, as if your insides is carved just for me, Aoba, do you know that?”

“Yes… It’s—ah!” He had to inhale a big breath to finish his words. “It’s yours, all yours.”

Marking each other, of course. This was more than just marking – it was carving each other’s presences into their very soul and leaving an everlasting mark that was impossible to be erased.

He thought he’d become more familiar with Noiz’s endurance with the countless times they’d make love with each other. But he was wrong. The end was approaching sooner than he expected it to be. Noiz’s eyes remained fixed on Aoba, his fervour only turning more aggressive with every thrust. Aoba struggled to keep his eyes open but Noiz’s thrust was powerful, almost on a destructive level before he felt a hand on his dick, thumb rolling over the head.

And this time, he was sure that at least his conscious had fallen apart in Noiz’s hands.

Right before Noiz hit his own limit, it was then that he realized that he had been staring at something different – something that he’d never seen before.

\--wrinkles, on Aoba’s face. They were tiny, barely visible. But they were there.

The mere realization sent a pang of despair right into Noiz’s heart.

 

* * *

 

 

It was a story of two bunnies – one of them green, another being blue; it was a story that he’d come to adore ever since he was young. His fathers had once told him that it was their story, and that was perhaps the only reason why he found himself so attached to it.

His fathers had always been his role models. They’d exposed him to countless situations while he grew; they had been part of his life, be by his side as he matured. There were times when he was frightened, times when he thought that he was useless, times when he thought that his existence was a mistake. But his fathers were always there to assure him that he was the best thing they could ever asked for. They told him that his existence was the proof of _their_ existences. At that time, Wilhelm couldn’t understand what they meant by that. His fathers were properly alive, they were right by his side; he could touch them, he could feel them, he could see and hear everything of them.

So what did they mean by ‘his existence was the proof that _they_ existed’?

When he asked, his parents only laughed and told him that he’d come to understand more about it when he grew older. He trusted his parents, he always did. And he’d wait.

He didn’t even need an answer. His parents were all he ever needed.

He’d heard about the story of the two very different bunnies for innumerable times. He could memorize it from the start, from every details, to the very end of it. The bunnies never had a great acquaintance; they were once enemies – they fought, they cried, but more importantly, they went through things together. And that was what mattered the most for them.

It was the storms that’d make them stronger; it was the rainbows that’d make them feel grateful.

His parents were great people, regardless of what others were to say. Sure, they had their flaws, but that was also because they were perfectly humans that they should be forgiven.

It was like how they’d told him when _he_ made mistakes – “It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you grow from it.” They said _they_ made plenty of mistakes before, but perhaps those mistakes were intended for them to make – or else they’d never come to where they were today.

There’d be no Noiz, no Aoba, no Noiz _and_ Aoba, and definitely no Wilhelm as well.

All the windows on the Advent Calendar were already opened during Boxing Day. The story had completed – from the first window where the two green and blue bunnies met, to when they fought, when they cried, when they made up, then to when they bonded and get together and ultimately accompanied by a tinier yellow-coloured rabbit that was him. It was a reiteration of _their_ story again, but it was also a reminder of how far they had come, how much they had overcome and _why_ they were able to do so.

“It’s cute,” Aoba hugged his son from the back while Wilhelm was still staring at the Advent Calendar, then pointing at where the yellow rabbit was sitting, under a Christmas tree, surrounded by his parents and gifts. “The parents must be really proud of him.”

“I’ll try my best!” Wilhelm said, leaning into Aoba’s touch. His father was warm, and as his hands came into his sight, he gasped at how, like Noiz had said, beautiful his hands were. But this pair of hands also had its own scars – just like Noiz’s. He bent, kissing his father on the knuckles before he looked up at a confused Aoba again. “I’ll try my best to make both of you proud!”

Aoba laughed, ruffling his son on the hair. “But you already did!”

“But I’m still so small,” Wilhelm pointed at the yellow rabbit. “One day, I want to be as big as you, so that I can protect you!”

Aoba could feel heat behind his eyes. Burying his face in Wilhelm’s beautiful blond hair, he nodded.

“En, but don’t push yourself too hard, okay? If it gets too tough, you can always lean on our shoulders.”

“Of course!” Wilhelm them pulled himself out of Aoba’s embrace, grasping Aoba on the wrist and dragging him towards the door. “Let’s open presents!”

They were supposed to do it before Christmas, but all of them were too engrossed with the chores they’d need to do for Christmas preparation, delaying the present opening ceremony until today.

Noiz was already putting the presents on the coffee table when they arrived in the living room. With Midori bouncing happily on the stack, he frowned, until the green cube rolled and settled on Ren’s back that he lifted his head up to meet his family.

“What take you so long?” He didn’t sound at all frustrated, but more of impatient instead.

Wilhelm ran towards him, staring at the gift tower from up to down.

“All of these are mine?” he asked excitedly.

“Some are for the house,” Aoba cackled. “But let’s open yours first?”

“Can I?” Wilhelm asked, sounding slightly embarrassed.

“Of course you can,” Aoba patted him on the hair again. “Here you go, this is from granny.”

“Granny from Midorijima?”

“Granny from Midorijima.”

Wilhelm took his time with opening his present. Once he was done with peeling off the wrapping, a simple-looking box revealed itself from beneath. It was lightweight, and once it was opened, Wilhelm jumped from his seat, pulling the soft material out of it and showing it excitedly to his parents.

“Granny made me a shirt!”

It was a rabbit hoodie; one glance and another soft caress told Aoba that it was hand-sewn.

“I can wear this out later!” Wilhelm laughed, his voice echoed around the space.

Noiz and Aoba could only smile at each other before they pulled Wilhelm back, settling him in front of them.

“Do you want to know what we have prepared for you?” Aoba asked in jest.

“Yes! Present from papa!”

Aoba shot Noiz a knowing look and, in the next moment, a tiny rabbit – one that was just slightly smaller than Ren – was placed gently in front of the bubbly kid, catching him off guard.

“You can name him later,” Aoba said.

“This is… for me?” Wilhelm asked, cautious. His eyes were fixed at the rabbit, then at both of his parents when Noiz gave him a nod.

“We adopted him from the zoo,” he said nonchalantly before he let out a trifling smile. “Thought you would like to have one.”

“So… I can take care of him and see him grow?” Wilhelm asked again, wariness still evident in his tone.

“Of course,” Aoba chuckled.

“Bigger and bigger? As big as Ren?”

“Maybe,” Noiz responded, sweeping a quick glance at Ren at the same time.

“I can… keep him?” Wilhelm asked again.

“Of course you can!” Aoba was laughing again. He never expected his son’s reaction to be like this; it was as if he’d just received something that was way too bizarre for him to expect – or maybe that was the case.

“You said you want to take care of us, right?” Noiz had inched closer towards him then. Holding the rabbit up with one hand, he placed him in Wilhelm’s lap, letting the rabbit cuddle in it. “Maybe you can start with taking care of this first.”

“I…” Wilhelm stuttered, then, with a determined grimace, he embraced the rabbit into his arms, giving his parents a strong gaze at the same time. “I’ll try my best!”

His parents were always in for a surprise, it was something he had come to familiarize himself with. Oftentimes, he’d find himself being astounded by the amenity and gentleness his parents had been unconditionally showered on him.

He didn’t know how his parents came to know that _he_ wanted to take care of them despite only accidentally spilling the beans at Aoba earlier this morning.

But what he _also_ didn’t know, was that the very ‘Christkind’ he had stuffed a card to a few weeks back had called out to Noiz on that very day when Noiz had returned from work, giving what Wilhelm had given her to Noiz instead.

It was a child’s language. But when Noiz opened the card to read what was inside, he instantly knew that this was _more_ than child language – it was his son’s language:

_“Please give me the ability to grow faster so that I can take care of papa!”_

Aoba almost broke into tears when Noiz showed him that very card. For both of them, it was perhaps the best present they could ever asked from their son – and they wanted so very much to return his affection.

They still had a long way to go. Wilhelm was still five then; he had decades to venture into, to find himself, and to discover what life had in store for him.

Noiz and Aoba never had a pleasant life when they were five themselves, but at the very least, they wanted their son to have what they never had. Simply because they had gone through unpleasant experiences that they had come to realize how they could overcome them. Those were what their scars meant for them, and even when Wilhelm was bounded to have his own scars in the future, at the very least, they wanted him to have a sanctuary to return to when he was tired – a place where there would be no judgement, no expectations; only peace and comfort.

And that would be what they would be fighting for from now onwards – a place that they could call it their family, a place to belong, and a place that was only theirs.

 


End file.
